The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

ColdCuts · 09-03-2013, 02:57 PM

Whoa.*

I've been eyeballing aquariums for awhile now. From where I sit, on the outside looking in, it looks soothing. I've long-thought fishkeeping would be a good hobby for me, especially with my high blood pressure. Might calm me down a little. So I recently began doing research online, trying to decide what kind of setup would be best for my family, our budget, our would-be aquarium population, and the real-world ecosystem.

Folks say start with a freshwater setup because it's easier and cheaper. Add to that the majority of freshwater fish are captive-bred, i.e. little or no negative impact on the environment, and I was preparing to go with fresh. I even began making a shortlist of how I'd like to stock a 55 or 65-gallon tank and was checking my selections against a compatibility chart.

Then someone, online somewhere, said that saltwater, specifically Fish Only With Live Rock, is only marginally -- if at all -- more challenging than a planted freshwater tank. Hmmm. Visually, I prefer what saltwater has to offer. So then I began thinking that I could go with a FOWLR setup, and purchase only captive-bred and aquacultured stuff from reputable vendors. This way, perhaps, I could successfully and responsibly manage a marine tank, even though I'm a total fishkeeping greenhorn. I was excited!

Then I found this thread. I read the first twelve pages. They read like Greek, complete with photos of special plumbing that I couldn't even begin to understand. Then I skipped to these last two pages and that was enough to make me want to scrap my precious plans and consider, instead, an aquarium-themed screensaver for my laptop. Sounds like, in the saltwater aquarium hobby, all that stands between lovely blood-pressure-dropping tranquility, and ugly heart-attack-inducing disaster, is the inevitable power failure. Or, it could be something else mysterious: introduce a new fish, everybody dies, thousands of dollars lost.

Perhaps fishkeeping is not the peaceful, stress-free hobby I was hoping it would be. Should I just forget tropical fish and stick with cigars? Again, for me, the whole impetus was the meditative calm I thought fishtanks brought. Is that just a naive fantasy?

Or, is it simply that I've got no business sticking my aquarium-noob nose in The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread? Maybe it's just that this stuff is waaay outta my league. Perhaps I just need some entry-level, practical guidance from the experts here in the Asylum. Is freshwater easier, and therefore, more relaxing? Do marine tanks often suffer crashes costing thousands? Is my electric bill sure to go through the roof? Would I need to hire a plumber to have a great saltwater setup, or buy a generator, or run the risk of divorce? If you've got insights, please gimme a holler. TIA

*My apologies if this comes off as a thread jack.

Blueface · 09-03-2013, 03:49 PM

Just my two cents, but to answer many of your questions in the last paragraph, yes.

In South Florida as in my case, crashes can happen with power failures. That is why I had a dedicated generator for the tank.
Like any living creature, they can and will die.
It is stress free when all is running well.
Torturous when not.
My electric bill went down $150 a month for my 225 gallon tank when I sold it.
That said, the nearly 20 years I was in the hobby were fun.
If not for my back, would likely still have my tank.

Blueface · 09-03-2013, 03:52 PM

My son and his wife at a recent marine show.
His website, still work in progress.
Www.cncaquariums.com

4WheelVFR · 09-03-2013, 04:31 PM

Dave, aquariums can be very relaxing when they're done right. Doing your research beforehand can help prevent most problems you can run into with fishkeeping, but there is still maintenance and care involved that some wouldn't call relaxing. Saltwater setups can be very simple, but being new, I would start with a moderate sized freshwater community tank and go from there. 40-75 gallons, peacefull, easy to keep fish, and basic equipment are all you need for a relaxing set up. There are a handul of very good aquarium forums out there. Fishgeeks and monsterfishkeepers are two that I can recommend offhand, and of course any questions you ask here can probably be handled as well.

09-03-2013, 02:57 PM	#1
ColdCuts Adjusting to the Life Join Date: Aug 2009 First Name: Dave Location: Queens, NY Posts: 375 Trading: (10)	Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread Whoa.* I've been eyeballing aquariums for awhile now. From where I sit, on the outside looking in, it looks soothing. I've long-thought fishkeeping would be a good hobby for me, especially with my high blood pressure. Might calm me down a little. So I recently began doing research online, trying to decide what kind of setup would be best for my family, our budget, our would-be aquarium population, and the real-world ecosystem. Folks say start with a freshwater setup because it's easier and cheaper. Add to that the majority of freshwater fish are captive-bred, i.e. little or no negative impact on the environment, and I was preparing to go with fresh. I even began making a shortlist of how I'd like to stock a 55 or 65-gallon tank and was checking my selections against a compatibility chart. Then someone, online somewhere, said that saltwater, specifically Fish Only With Live Rock, is only marginally -- if at all -- more challenging than a planted freshwater tank. Hmmm. Visually, I prefer what saltwater has to offer. So then I began thinking that I could go with a FOWLR setup, and purchase only captive-bred and aquacultured stuff from reputable vendors. This way, perhaps, I could successfully and responsibly manage a marine tank, even though I'm a total fishkeeping greenhorn. I was excited! Then I found this thread. I read the first twelve pages. They read like Greek, complete with photos of special plumbing that I couldn't even begin to understand. Then I skipped to these last two pages and that was enough to make me want to scrap my precious plans and consider, instead, an aquarium-themed screensaver for my laptop. Sounds like, in the saltwater aquarium hobby, all that stands between lovely blood-pressure-dropping tranquility, and ugly heart-attack-inducing disaster, is the inevitable power failure. Or, it could be something else mysterious: introduce a new fish, everybody dies, thousands of dollars lost. Perhaps fishkeeping is not the peaceful, stress-free hobby I was hoping it would be. Should I just forget tropical fish and stick with cigars? Again, for me, the whole impetus was the meditative calm I thought fishtanks brought. Is that just a naive fantasy? Or, is it simply that I've got no business sticking my aquarium-noob nose in The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread? Maybe it's just that this stuff is waaay outta my league. Perhaps I just need some entry-level, practical guidance from the experts here in the Asylum. Is freshwater easier, and therefore, more relaxing? Do marine tanks often suffer crashes costing thousands? Is my electric bill sure to go through the roof? Would I need to hire a plumber to have a great saltwater setup, or buy a generator, or run the risk of divorce? If you've got insights, please gimme a holler. TIA *My apologies if this comes off as a thread jack. __________________

09-03-2013, 03:49 PM	#2
Blueface Gramps 4x's Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Horatio Seymore Hiny Location: Boca Raton - North of La Habana Posts: 8,774 Trading: (8)	Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread Just my two cents, but to answer many of your questions in the last paragraph, yes. In South Florida as in my case, crashes can happen with power failures. That is why I had a dedicated generator for the tank. Like any living creature, they can and will die. It is stress free when all is running well. Torturous when not. My electric bill went down $150 a month for my 225 gallon tank when I sold it. That said, the nearly 20 years I was in the hobby were fun. If not for my back, would likely still have my tank. __________________ Little known fact: I am a former member of the Village People - The Indian

09-03-2013, 03:52 PM	#3
Blueface Gramps 4x's Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Horatio Seymore Hiny Location: Boca Raton - North of La Habana Posts: 8,774 Trading: (8)	Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread My son and his wife at a recent marine show. His website, still work in progress. Www.cncaquariums.com __________________ Little known fact: I am a former member of the Village People - The Indian

09-03-2013, 04:31 PM	#4
4WheelVFR Wild'n since '87 Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Ray Location: Little Egypt Posts: 1,345 Trading: (36)	Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread Dave, aquariums can be very relaxing when they're done right. Doing your research beforehand can help prevent most problems you can run into with fishkeeping, but there is still maintenance and care involved that some wouldn't call relaxing. Saltwater setups can be very simple, but being new, I would start with a moderate sized freshwater community tank and go from there. 40-75 gallons, peacefull, easy to keep fish, and basic equipment are all you need for a relaxing set up. There are a handul of very good aquarium forums out there. Fishgeeks and monsterfishkeepers are two that I can recommend offhand, and of course any questions you ask here can probably be handled as well.